Bali booze deaths worry tourism chiefs
DENPASAR – A series of deaths caused by rice wine (arak) laced with methanol has focused attention of the huge taxes that the Indonesian government applies to imported alcohol.
Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, head of Bali’s tourism board, has blamed the deaths on a combination of the prohibitive price of imported alcohol and a lack of regulation of arak producers.
“This is a big problem for Bali,†Wijaya said. “Alcohol imports are controlled but there are no controls on these small home industries.
“The trouble is that the price of imported alcohol is so high that tourists on a budget prefer to buy the local drink and now they are dying.â€
His organisation was lobbying the Government for more regulation of producers and was urging holidaymakers to avoid local rice wine.
“For the time being I would say only consume alcohol that has been guaranteed by the Government,” he said.
More than 20 people have died in Bali after drinking rice wine laced with methanol.
One of them was named as Rose Johnson, 48, a successful painter who was based in Phoenix, Arizona, who died early on Monday in Sanur after drinking from a batch of poisoned arak. She was on holiday on the island.
Nineteen Balinese remain seriously ill in hospital.
Local police have found the source of the adulterated drink and are expected to lay charges when they complete their investigations.
Ian Jarrett
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